Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam will return to the Pata Honda team for the 2014 World Superbike season. Both men have extended their contracts for one more season, giving the aging CBR1000RR what is expected to be its last season before a new bike makes an appearance.

The pairing has been plagued by injury this season, and despite increased support from HRC for 2013, the results have not been as the team had hoped.

The problems had caused Johnny Rea to look elsewhere for 2014, the Ulsterman having held talks with Forward Racing about riding one of the Yamaha machines, as well as having spoken to Ducati about replacing Ben Spies in the Pramac team. In the end, the Pata Honda team was his best option for 2014.

Honda had been expected to reveal the bike at the EICMA show this November, but the Japanese manufacturer appears to have postponed the release of the new bike due to the dismal market for sports bikes.

So much for everyone’s hope of a Honda V4… The Ulsterman deserves competitive machinery.

SBPilot

Haslam is past his prime – when a substitute rider who’s never ridden the bike comes in and out paces you right away, you’re not quick enough anymore.

Rea – his decision baffles me, that is assuming he really had realistic options at MotoGP. The CBR1000 is competitive in spontaneous situations, but ultimately, though it maybe developing, so are other teams and their bikes. I think this decision by Rea is because his MotoGP options actually closed for him.

Damo

I actually think the complete opposite of everyone. I think the fact that he is staying 100% CONFIRMS Honda is making a over the top V4 street machine.

Think about it, Rea has to know something awesome is coming down the pipe, or would he really turn down other offers?

motobell

Partially agree with Damo. Regardless of results Jonathan Rea is considered one of wsbk’s top riders and he did do a decent job on mototgp. So I am sure he has at least better options even in wsbk – the honda factory ride has to be worse than the ducati factory ride now in terms of machinery (this can be sepetate debate – at least one is newer with less data on moving forward and other is old and maxxed out).

So Rea choosing to stay at honda means something is afoot – either the new rules will favor Honda or some development coming that will help them compete better under new for 2014 wsbk.

SBPilot

@Damo – although you maybe right about the V4 Superbike coming to Honda for WSBK – wouldn’t your dream (if you’re Rea) still to be in MotoGP, especially if you have options and you’d be riding the Honda RCV213PR?

The MotoGP rules next year – IMO – really does even out the field quite a bit, to be on any of the customer prototypes (RCvPR or the M1) would put you in a good spot. Considering how competitive Aleix was before the rules, it can only get better for the top non-factory bikes/teams. If Rea can make a decent impact then he could have a chance to ride the factory team when Pedrosa leaves.

Now, that’s all out of the question, and where he has decided to perhaps try to reign WSBK in the next two years, his fellow Irish mate Eugene Laverty will possibly get a tasty pneumatic valve seamless transmission powerful Aprilia for MotoGP.